Media Contact: Shubhangi Domokos, shubhangi@calaborfed.org, 916-934-6963
New Indoor Heat Protections in Effect, Covering Millions of California Workers
After Nearly a Decade, Labor Unions Win Fight to Implement Enforceable Heat Protections for California Workers Facing Record-Breaking, Extreme Heat Conditions
Sacramento, CA – (Wednesday, July 24, 2024) – California’s record-breaking heat waves have endangered the lives of warehouse workers, laundry workers, farmworkers, janitors, steelworkers, food processing workers, construction and shipyard workers, and millions of others across the state working in extreme conditions. The Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment Standard is officially in effect as of July 23, 2024.
“Extreme heat kills and our recent heat waves have endangered the lives of millions of workers in California in the last month alone. That’s why after more than eight years of relentless advocacy, we are relieved that the indoor heat protections are now finally in effect in California,” said Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO representing over 1,300 unions with 2.3 million union members. “This long overdue victory for workers cannot be overstated: these protections from extreme heat will save countless lives. We will continue pushing Cal/OSHA to prioritize enforcement so that bad employers can’t get away with subjecting workers to life-threatening working conditions from indoor heat exposure.”
The implementation of the Indoor Heat Standard was a hard-fought victory by California labor unions and worker advocates that have sounded the alarm for rigorous and enforceable indoor heat protections and demanded action for years. The California Federation of Labor Unions conveyed the urgency of this issue since Senate Bill 1167 (Mendoza) passed in 2016 directing Cal/OSHA to propose and adopt a heat stress standard by 2019. Over the years, employer groups have mounted fierce opposition to indoor heat regulations in the workplace and further delayed progress, but ultimately workers prevailed in the fight.
The indoor heat standards apply to most workplaces where indoor temperatures reach 82°F. According to the regulations, employers are required to provide free access to safe drinking water, access to cool-down areas maintained below 82°F, preventative rest periods, close and consistent monitoring of indoor temperatures, and maintain a strict heat illness prevention plan. Frequently asked questions about the indoor heat standard and a comparison to California’s outdoor heat regulations is available here. The current standard does not apply to prisons, local detention facilities, and juvenile facilities; the Department of Corrections and the Administration are working with worker advocates to establish and implement a heat standard to cover workers employed in these facilities.
Workers who believe their rights to a safe workplace free from extreme heat conditions are violated may file a complaint with Cal/OSHA in English or Spanish by calling 1-833-579-0927 or at they may file a complaint online. Workers with questions regarding the indoor heat standard can direct inquiries to Cal/OSHA’s Heat Helpline at 1-877-992-2567.
“Being a member and having been involved in the original Leyva bill (SB 1167) in 2016, it has been a long road to gain protection for indoor workers who are working in heated situations without the protection of air conditioning,” said Lee Sandahl, on behalf of the Northern California District Council of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
High heat leads to a wide range of health issues and workplace injuries, and without proper care and precaution, can lead to heat stroke and death. As climate change brings record heat, working Californians have increasingly found themselves in the impossible situations of having to choose between risking their lives to go to work, or risking their livelihood to stay safe.
The California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO represents over 1,300 affiliated unions in California with over 2.3 million union members in trucking, retail, hospitality, janitorial, construction, health care, local and state government, education, arts and entertainment, warehousing and logistics, manufacturing, and a variety of other sectors.
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